Essy’s Carriage House

The Carriage House has been a favorite of mine for years, like 12. Close to my office, I eat lunch (weekly) and dinner (occasionally). The food is always prepared perfectly, never a send back in 12 years! The owners are friendly and entertaining. Really good place.

Great food. Relaxing. And wonderful people. We never go enough.

No advance expectations, as we’d just stopped in, as many appear to have done, while getting car work done. White table cloths, and flowers on each table. We ordered a Rueben to share and Essy talked us out of it and into a chicken sandwich which was plentiful and delicious. We were treated very well considering we were sharing a plate. Essy treated us as if we had ordered prime rib, and both service and food were very impressive. We are not normally in that neighborhood, but we enjoyed this establishment and would happily go there again.

Essy’s Carriage House Restaurant has been a local favorite in Arlington since ’75. The menu offers brunch, lunch, and a dinner menu, and the place itself prides in being opened all year round, even on major holidays. The hubs and I came here for a New Years Day lunch, and we were seated right away at a comfortable booth. For our meal, we tried: the Filet Mignon Bearnaise (a petite filet on a toasted English muffin, topped with bearnaise sauce, served with a side of french fries and cole slaw; the filet was raw, and I was a little surprised that we were not asked for a requested temperature; the English muffin was nice and toasted; the star of the dish, however, was the Bearnaise sauce — it was garlic-​y, buttery, and a tinge of saltiness, and it was a great sauce to sop it up with the English muffin and the filet!); I had the Broiled Crab Cakes, which happen to be Mr. Essy’s famous receipe (filled with a luscious amount of jumbo lump crab and not too much filler, this was slightly broiled and was very soft and slightly creamy-​like — the crab cakes themselves were sweet and juicy, and I liked the bits of capers here and there; I just wished that there was better hot sauce instead of Tabasco (like Cholula), as the crab cakes were served automatically with a side of tarter and cocktail sauce; this also came with a side of freshly-​fried fries). Complimentary bread was served at the beginning, and these were just okay, as well as a mixed salad with your choice of dressing (some lettuce were wilted). For dessert, we tried the raved-​about NY cheesecake that was plain — we both weren’t really much fans, as it seemed not fresh; it was extremely thick, and not at all fluffy-​like as we both usually prefer it to be. Just note that the restaurant has ever-​changing specials, so you need to call/​check to see what they are offering for that day — I know I would love to come back and try out their Beef Stroganoff. Mr. Essy was our server and had a very witty sense of humor, and the restaurant itself had a nice comfortable laid-​back atmosphere.
+Broiled Crab Cakes! (bring a bottle of the Cholula!)
+bearnaise sauce!
+be specific in your temperature request for steaks!
+avoid the NY cheesecake T_​_​_​T
+ask for Mr. Essy!
+free parking lot for the restaurant (off of Quincy)

We are here almost every Sunday for brunch, which is always fabulous. We come at other times, too. I love the quiche on Sunday. The crust is the best. The quiche is airy and perfect. For lunch during the week and on Saturday, my favorite is the fish and chips. I’ve had fish and chips in England and Scotland, and I have to say, Janet’s is the best. She uses a cornmeal based crust that is so flavorful. We always have a good time. Essy always has a great sense of humor, often playfully razzing the customers. This place has great food and wonderful atmosphere.

Very nice restaraunt befitting a white tablecloth establishment. Very solid menu and inviting atmosphere. Staff were quite amiable as well.

Nice, local upscale restaurant with an intimate ambiance. The owner is extremely friendly and accommodating. Very small place; only maybe a dozen tables or so. But the food is very good, and the service is even better. We will be back!

We checked out this local spot for a Friday date night and we were not disappointed! We got the crab cakes, salmon, and chicken cordon bleu– all very good. The best part was the cheese cake though. Staff was very friendly and personable. We definitely plan to become regulars at Essy’s

I went for lunch one day to this fine place while getting my car serviced at a nearby service center. I walked in at 2:45PM and was the only one there. This place seemed to be a family ran business with a very comfortable atmosphere with nice music playing in the background. The server was very nice and I have no complains about the aesthetics of the restaurant. However, when it comes to food, I was not impressed. I had Lobster Bisque ($ 9) and Reuben Sandwich ($ 12). The lobster bisque was fresh, but didn’t have much flavor to it while the Reuben Sandwich was downright salty. Was not a big fan. Pricing also varies quite a bit. Some of the items in the menu can run you up to almost $ 30. The food really didn’t make any positive impression on me, but I still hope to give this another go with some other items on the menu to see if the place deserves a better review than a 3 star. But for now, this is all I have to say about this place.

Everything was absolutely amazing, I think the owner was our waiter & he was not only kind and attentive… he was also funny. The food was super yummy, five stars all the way around.

Great food, comfortable atmosphere and friendly owners. Prices are very reasonable. White tablecloths are so appreciated and a rarity these days.
Thank you, Carriage House!

When you make reservations and your space is quite remarkably made just for you…
When you want a small and intimate setting with someone special…
When you want to pay for service and food of quality…
If these three things are part of what you seek, then I suggest you take time to visit this North Arlington restaurant. Essy is quite friendly, and the food was made just the way I requested it.
The only reason I rate it as a four (and not five) is because we had to walk through a slight kitchen-​style area/​mini hallway when entering and when exiting. It wasn’t the worst thing, but it was kind of awkward. The parking lot is in the back so it requires this. All in all, this is a solid four rating!

A neighborhood gem. We have driven by this restaurant a thousand times for 10 yrs and finally stopped in to try it for dinner. Don’t let the slightly dated outside look fool you. Inside is updated, inviting and comfortable.
Owner operated, in business for 40 yrs. My hat off to Essy the owner-​host-​waiter-​buser. We loved it for the warm hospitality and good food. When is the last time you ate out and your entrée came with a salad?! The good ol’ days.
No attitude. No drama. No loud music. Nothing trendy. Simple. Classic. I had the crab cakes which were plump with crab meat. Two truly jumbo ones to an order. I ate one and will have the other for lunch tomorrow. My husband had a steak. It was a solid meal.
The owner chatted with us. He is warm, friendly, a bit of a character. He’s full of old fashion hospitality. He says he’s the oldest, sit down, restaurant in Arlington. We truly felt like we made a new friend tonight. Just a nice experience all around. Go support this guy!

The service, by the owners btw, is friendly, warm and makes you feel like home. The mignon was like butter! The desserts were fresh and tasted homemade. The coffee was exceptional! Definitely a must!

OMG!!! Awesome meal.
So I was getting my car serviced at the Toyota dealership and decided to do dinner while waiting. Saw great reviews for Essy’s so stopped in.
The owner/​chef was great with suggestions. I went with crab stuffed mushrooms and beef stroganoff. I had a little mushrooms with my crab. Huge chunks of crab with an awesome sauce and cheese.
Then had the beef stroganoff which was soooo flavorful.
Oh and forgot to mention my crispy salad and warm tasty bread.
I HIGHLY recommend this place. I know I’ll def be back to try their crab cake meal.

What a fun, random little place. The food is delicious. But what makes this place so special is the service. You will be greeted and then treated like family the entire time you are there. It’s hard to find now-​a-​days!

This review is based on a visit from a month prior to today:
It was a Saturday late morning and after attending a Baptism, I as the God-​Father was taking the direct family to brunch. The original plan was for five people and the baby to go to a local hotel brunch but the number of guests grew to 22 (after it was clear that I was paying).
So I had to make an emergency change of plans since the hotel, which will remain nameless (Hyatt) refused to help. I went on OpenTable and found Essy’s and made the reservation with only 10 minutes notice for them. When we arrived, the location made me concerned but within five minutes of being there the owner had me and my group laughing and relaxed.
He altered the layout of his floor plan to allow us to sit with one another, he interacted and opened the bar early. The food was outstanding and the overall feel was that of a true family restaurant.
Great location and excellent service — we will be returning and bringing back large groups.

This place has a a lot of variety of good. They are wonderful with kids, will make whatever food your child desires. Owners are super friendly. Love his place.

Essy’s is a throwback kind of restaurant. Friendly staff, nice portions, quaintly decorated, etc. The prices are a bit high (~$ 20 – 25) for an entrée but note that all come with at least 2 sides and a salad (which is rare nowadays). I went with family recently and everyone enjoyed their dishes (trout, salmon, stuffed shrimp and crab cake sandwich). The fresh bread brought to the table was delicious and the side salads were fresh and plentiful. Essy and his wife Janet (also the cook) are extremely friendly and attentive. Most of the customers are older and seem like regulars but no matter what your age is you should at least try Essy’s.
A note of advice — Call to see if they are open. The hours reported on Unilocal seem to be off (we went when Unilocal said they were closed).

We’ve visited here several times over the past few years and have always had a good experience. Here is a quiet, relaxing place for an unhurried, satisfying meal where a normal conversation can be enjoyed. The menu is short, simple and not adventurous, but consistent. The service is attentive but not overly so, the proprietor is there to chat if the mood strikes. I’ve enjoyed Wiener schnitzel several times, always excellent. I’ve come to believe the steaks here are as good as you’ll get anywhere, including those steakhouses with lines out the door and attitude to match. It’s not inexpensive, but good things rarely are. The usual crowd is older and makes me feel young. What’s not to like?